The Best Family Hotel Pools in the World

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I’m a sucker for a good hotel pool. Give my family a pool with waterfalls and a kids’ splash area, and we’re in heaven! To compile this list of the best family hotel pools in the world, I spoke to travel experts in the know. I couldn’t help but include a couple of my family’s favorites, too. Now, let’s dive in!

Best Pool for Toddlers and Little Kids

Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa Maui, Hawaii For a splashing good time for toddlers and preschoolers, you can’t beat the Hyatt Regency Maui’s Keiki Lagoon. This children’s pool features leaping water fountains, a twisting waterslide and an island center where tots can play with sand toys. My family whiled away many happy vacation hours at this pool when my daughter was nearing age two and I’ve been dreaming about returning ever since. (Pictured above.)

Best Pool for Big Kids

Tabacon Grand Spa and Thermal Resort Arenal, Costa Rica Laura van Hoff of Juicy Hotels asked her teenage sons where they would go if they were to return to any destination solely for its pool. Both replied, “That’s easy, Tabacon Springs!” Costa Rica’s Tabacon Springs is intimate and relaxed. Laura loves its “thermal pool, heated by natural springs in a tropical setting.” She said, “It’s got a waterslide, but not a fancy American waterslide. It’s more simple, but boy is it fun!” Laura recommends this pool for bigger kids since it might be too toasty for tiny tots. She said, “It’s like a big, hot Jacuzzi.”

The daily “sliming” at the Nickelodeon Hotel pool in Orlando, Florida (Photo by Theresa Jorgensen)

Best Pool for Wacky Fun

Nickelodeon Hotel Orlando, Florida SixSuitcaseTravel’s Theresa Jorgensen recommends the water park at the Nickelodeon Hotel in Orlando for non-stop fun for big families. With seven slides and flumes, and easy access zero-entry, there is something here for children of any age. A 400-gallon tank spills water on splashers throughout the day but the highlight is when kids are “slimed” at 4:45 pm daily.

View of the Atlantis Resort’s pools and aquariums (Photo by Colleen Lanin)

Most Unique Pool

The Atlantis Resort Paradise Island, The Bahamas This sprawling pool complex is resplendent with waterslides, one of which sends swimmers through a shark tank in a see-through tube! Atlantis recently added a children’s water play area with a Mayan-themed play structure featuring multiple slides, cargo nets, rope bridges, water cannons, and fountains. My husband and I stayed at the Atlantis once without the kids and we can’t wait to bring them with us next time!

Four Seasons “Nuna” pool at Punta Mita, Mexico (Photo Courtesy of Four Seasons)

Best Oceanside Pool

Four Seasons Punta Mita Punta Mita, Mexico The “Nuna” pool is the centerpiece of the Four Seasons resort in Punta Mita, Mexico. It is a free-form infinity edge pool with views of Puerto Vallerta’s horseshoe-shaped Banderas Bay. Amie O’Shaughnessy of Ciao Bambino said, “The illusion is that the pool extends right into the ocean, particularly at sunset—it’s truly breathtaking.” The pool also offers shallow splashing areas for young children.

Best Lazy River

Azul SensatoriCancun, Mexico Laura loves the Azul Sensatori in Cancun, Mexico for its lazy river, which encircles the property. Swim-up suites have lazy river access just steps from the door. Children will love the splash park and kids’ pool with waterslide. If they tire of the water, there’s a playground, Azulitos Kid’s Club, and Breeze Teen Club.

Pool at Le Case del Borgo, Tuscany (Photo courtesy of Ciao Bambino)

Best Pool with a View

Le Case del BorgoTuscany, ItalyLe Case del Borgo has a voluminous pool in an idyllic setting surrounded by the rolling green Tuscan landscape. Amie said, “I’m a view person and love pools surrounded by sensational scenery. I can be by the pool there and still know and appreciate that I’m enjoying Italy.”

The Bora Bora Pool at the Kona Village Resort (Photo courtesy of Kona Village Resort)

Friendliest Pool

Kona Village Resort The Big Island, Hawaii Often cited by guidebooks as the most authentically-Hawaiian hotel, Kona Village has thatched-roof bungalows and two great pools, one for babies and toddlers. It is Hawaii’s only almost-all-inclusive resort. Laura said, “This is my number one favorite hotel for families in the entire world!” She loves the spirit of Aloha exuded by the staff. Her kids love that they can order their own tasty non-alcoholic drinks from the poolside bar, like the “Cookie Monster” and the “Big Bird.”

Most International Pool

Ciragan Palace Kempinki IstanbulIstanbul, TurkeyAmie promises a dip in the pool at Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, is one you won’t soon forget. It is situated along the Bosphorous Straight, the channel of water that divides Europe and Asia, and this pool provides stunning views of both continents.

The water elevator at the Grand Wailea, Maui (Photo courtesy of the Grand Wailea)

Most Popular Pool

Grand Wailea Maui, Hawaii No list of fabulous pools would be complete without including the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui. Laura said, “The pool that I hear about over and over again that people love is the Grand Wailea pool.” The water complex at the Grand Wailea offers multiple swim-up bars, is adjacent to the beach, offers a Tarzan-like rope swing, and even has a water elevator for easy access to its numerous waterslides.

What do you think are the best family hotel pools? Let us know in the comments!

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About Colleen Lanin

Colleen Lanin is the founder/editor-in-chief of TravelMamas.com. As the author of her book, "The Travel Mamas' Guide," she teaches parents not only how to survive a trip with children, but also how to love exploring the world with their offspring. Her stories have appeared online and in print for such outlets as the "Today" show, NBCNews.com, Parenting Magazine, Orlando Sentinel, Chicago Tribune, Expedia, San Diego Family Magazine, and more. Colleen gives tips on television, radio, and as a public speaker. She has a master’s degree in business administration with a background in marketing. She lives in Arizona with her husband and two kids.

I have to give an “Honorable Mention” to Stormalong Bay at Walt Disney World’s Beach Club Resort.

A mini-waterpark for Guests of the resort, it is located adjacent to the Crescent Lake beach and features a sand-bottom pool, lazy river, a “Shipwreck” complete with water slide, tanning deck, poolside activities and so much more. The 750,000 gallon complex of pools offer something for everyone in the family.

We took a gaggle of children (our extended family) on a family vacation in Punta Cana with Club Med. We went off season when it was hot and rained a lot so the price was good. The rainstorms rolling in off the ocean were impressive. While I cannot recommend Punta Cana-Club Med as a very interesting resort for adults, the kids loved it. There were lots of great pool spaces between several pools and Club Med offered lots of activities for the kids. The kids were the winners on that vacation. Punta Cana is in the Dominican Republic and the poverty outside the resort is intense so vacationers are not encouraged to venture out. And frankly, the contrast between the opulence within and the poverty outside, is painful but an education in what can go wrong in the world.

While the pool at Kona Village is fab for sure, it is all of the included ocean activities that our family loved. We could snorkel, kayak, sail – and it didn’t cost a penny extra. Kids loved having acres and acres to roam. A real sense of freedom for them…and safety for dad & I. The staff is simply wonderful We’re already planning our return trip there (along with many of the guests who have been going to Kona Village for generations in fact).

My kids especially loved the hot springs and natural hot spring pool at Tabacon in Costa Rica. The variety of temperatures, the water slide, and the beautiful setting made it a truly memorable experience for them. They’re both teenagers and very well traveled, and even they found this to be something unusual in a natural way. Atlantis was fun and BIG, but this was more “real” to them.

Great choices! This article gave me some new spots to put on the vacation list. I agree with your “most popular” choice — the Grand Wailea pool in Maui has a lot of special memories for our family. Our kids first experienced the pools/swing/slides at 8 and 4 years old and years later, they are still excited to visit this amazing resort.

In our Entertainment Book I found a discount of 25% at the Nickelodeon Family Suites Hotel by going to their nickhotel.com website. I think a suite makes for a more enjoyable vacation when traveling with kids.

For you So Cal people, Rancho Las Palmas in Palm Desert has a great pool area including a lazy river, water play area, slide, and a pool beach. The beach was great for my 2 and 3 year old girls because they could run in and out without my assistance (close observation of course was still required).

Hi – I stumbled on this website by mistake. I was searching in Yahoo for beach suggestions for my trip when I came upon your site, I have to say your website is really informative, I just love the theme, its amazing!. I don’t have the time at the moment to totally read your site but I have bookmarked it and also signed up for your RSS feed. I will be back in a day or two. Thanks again for a great site.

I have been to the Tabacon Hot Springs in Costa Rica and I cannot express how FABULOUS it is! its so fun to explore all the different pools and the black lava sand is so cool! At the spa we had a couples massages, a private Hot Tub and fruit & champagne! If I was to go on my Honeymoon again I would go there, so fun and romantic!

I love your posting about the amazing pool hotels in the world. I work for the travel company in UK and always look for the better deals through out the world. Here i found some really important information about hotels with pool facilities to get to know my clients as well. Thanks for great post again.

Thanks for the tips and information. I have been wanting to go to the beach with my kids for ages and just havent been sure if i want to go on the east or west coast and what the best beaches are for kids to play around in. I really appreciate the advice. Now I have a lot more information to gather and to think about!

Those pools were really nice and relaxing. There are so many wonderful pools around the world. Thanks for sharing some of them and also for the photos and information. I think I like most is the Rope swing at the Grand Wailea, Maui. Very nice surrounding.

Its really nice information you share here i am really thankful to you !! I’d love to see more posts like this! We’re currently scoping out locations for a informative website, and blogs like this really help narrow our decisions down!

The pool complex at South Seas Island Resort on Captiva is pretty amazing! There are 3 pools, the first one has a slide and is surrounded on one side by sand. The other 2 pools are right on the bay with amazing views, fountains, pool games for the kids, plenty of lounging for the adults, restaurant, slushies, pool bar, and cabanas. We loved it and so will your family!

[…] 4.The Travel Mama’s Blogs & Trip Reports – Accommodations, Air Travel, 10 Best Family-Friendly Hotel Pools in the World … To compile this list of the best pools for children, I spoke to three Travel Mamas who are experts in the hotel and travel industries: Laura van Hoff of Blue Hippo Travel (a booking site that allows … 23 Responses to “10 Best Family-Friendly Hotel Pools in the World”… http://142.4.10.17/~travelma/10-best-family-friendly-hotel-pools-in-the-world/ […]

Hi there! I'm Colleen Lanin, the founder of Travel Mamas. I launched this family travel blog in 2009 to help parents better connect with their kids and the world through travel and beyond. I love being a mom, traveling, swimming in fabulous hotel pools, and doing Pilates so I can eat lots of gluten-free dessert. Click on the pic to learn more about moi!